Welcome fellow bats. My eye disease of choice (well, my gene's choice anyway) is "Retinitis Pigmentosa". I recently completed my training at ILAB here in Jacksonville Fl. ILAB stands for Independent Living for the Adult Blind. What an eye opener it was (pun intended). I learned simple things like clipping your shoes together with clothespins so you don't go mixing them up, and did you know there are these things called sock sorters that you can throw in the washer and dryer and not mix them up? you could place a small safety pin in labels of clothing to match up later (up and down would be dark blue for instance and horizontal could be black) . I also found that if you take an index cards and hole punch them you can write the article of clothing color and hang it on a hanger.

Earrings can be kept in egg cartons or clipped together so they don't get mixed up.

You can use rubber bands in assorted ways including putting one on shampoo bottles so you don't confuse the same shape conditioner bottle when trying to wash hair, or putting a rubber band on a certain pill bottle if you have two identical ones. If you have three then why not put a paper clip on a rubber band then one will just have the band the other blank and the third with the clip. Ah, so simple yet it works.

I learned how to mark my stove and washer and dryer with tape you can buy at Ace or another hardware store. Ask for the rough textured tape you would put on floors so you don't slip (so you can feel the texture) you can have the circle be a certain degree's and a square be a certain degrees and a triangle et. You are only limited in your imagination with this handy dandy tape (you can make each one of the number buttons on the microwave if they are on the flat surface as mine is. The start button would be a square. Also if your warming something up and it will take a min or two just punch lll, or 222 so you don't have to spend time searching for a l then a zero, and so on.

I also learned to use my cane and have received so many compliments on my confidence which I feel is due to the instruction I got from Amy.

Diane introduced me to grade one Braille through Hadley and I plan on going on to two (free correspondence course I would be happy to give you info if you email me) so I can use my slate and stylus to make labels for clothing. If you get half inch tape you can slide it in these slots. I can attach the label tape to cardboard and hole punch it, attach a rubber band through the hole and viola I will read what is in those cans in my cupboard and what spices are going into my soup.

Rose taught me a bunch of neat tricks like getting separate measuring cups to cut down on guessing. Put all articles on a tray when starting a recipe and take off as you use. Use contrast when working to help on eyestrain.

What a great place it was, I met wonderful folks and was even inspired to start a support group (with a little push from Sister Elizabeth) at the Taylor Home. I have made friends that will last a lifetime and found a new sense of myself.

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